Caught in the Crossfire
by kurochinn
Summary: Rivaille is the police force's strongest leading police officer, while Eren is just the annoying kid who lives a few doors down in his apartment complex. However, when Eren gets caught in the crossfire between the police and a criminal group that has the police tied up in knots, how does Rivaille deal with this?
1. Go Home, Eren

[ **notes** ]

**[ Edit: June 20, 2013 - changes made to Author's Notes ]**

**[ Edit: August 5, 2013 - slightly rewritten story and changes to Author's notes. ]**

The main pairing of this story is Rivaille x Eren - RiRen.

However, the idea I have in mind for this is that the first arc includes kid!Eren and a 20 year old!Rivaille. For now, I'm focusing on plot progression before the real RiRen kicks in. And also, it's rated T for now. Rating may be due to change in the second arc.

:3

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**"Go Home, Eren."**

* * *

The soft, velvet-pressed fabric slipped through his fingers, its exterior feeling cool to his touch as it slipped through. His fingers held firm upon the bulged knot that waited at the top, while his other hand remained at the opposite, bottom-end.

He gave the neck-tie one sharp tug until it felt comfortably tight enough before letting go and taking a small step back, giving himself a onceover from his reflection on the body-length mirror. His dark eyes spotted a little dirt on his right shoulder, and with no hesitation, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to rub it out.

However, when the dirt spot made no indication of fading out, he also spent no moment of hesitation to slip off and toss out the marred top of his suit into a laundry hamper and pull out another completely cleaner one from his closet. A small mutter of "filthy" slipped through his lips as he tugged the new top on, giving himself another onceover and feeling inwardly content from having a clean and pristine appearance.

His lips released a huff as his eyes glided towards the digital clock that stood atop his nightstand, its red numbers revealing that it was just half-past six in the morning. On his clean, well-made bed, he could clearly hear the vibrating noise that emitted from his cell phone, its buzz never ceasing to end unless it was picked — most likely a call from _her_, he surmised.

Therefore, he didn't bother to pick up, choosing to ignore its buzzed cry instead with a slam of his bedroom door as he turned down the cramped hallway of his small apartment and into his almost similar kitchen.

Dishes were neatly stacked and placed together up in the shelves, its clean surface gleaming off a brightened shine; pots and pans hung from the hooks that held him, not a stain of grease on either of them; and on his counter, its polished surface looked spotless and smooth that his lips nearly twitched a small smile until his eyes laid sight on leftover crumbs in its corner.

Narrowing down at the mess, his nerves blazed slightly at the suspicion of who he felt was the culprit, but before he pointed a remark, his hand deftly reached for the bottle of Windex, the cleaner laid out inside the kitchen counter for use. With a quick spray and a thorough sweep of a rag over the counter, he felt content upon seeing the currently, clean countertop, unmarred by no speck of dirt.

However, that still didn't mean he was going to give the culprit mercy.

"Hey, where are you, you shitty brat?" He called out, as he returned the cleaner back into its original compartment, listening for any indication of the other's whereabouts. "I'm not even going to give you until the count of ten. Haul your ass out here now."

After the demand was made, it only took a few seconds until he heard the light tapping of footsteps echo throughout his apartment, and before he knew it, something had attacked him from behind and clung onto the back of his right leg. When he looked down, he was met with the sight of a small, brunet grinning up at him, a wide set of teeth—save an empty space where his top-front teeth were—displayed before him.

"Corporal, corporal!" The small boy continued to grin as his small fingers pulled and stretched the sides of his mouth. "Look, Corporal Rivaille! My two front teeth are gone!"

"That's great." Rivaille leaned down to pat at the seven-year old's head. "How'd you get in here, Eren?"

"You know, Corporal, for a policeman, you don't lock your doors." Eren remarked as he trailed after Rivaille, who had headed back into the kitchen and began toasting some bread. "Ah! I want peanut butter and jelly on mine!"

"Go back to your own apartment, you little brat."

Nevertheless, Rivaille still retrieved the two food jars from the cupboards, sliding them onto the kitchen countertop and next to the brunet, whose eyes had lit up at the sight of them. Hearing the ding from the toaster, Eren then scrambled out of his seat to take out the two pieces of toast and place in new pieces of bread.

In the meantime, Rivaille had taken the creamer and sugar, and already begun brewing himself a cup of coffee. Eren tip-toed as high as he could, his little fingers gripping at the top of the counter to watch the dark liquid boil and mix within the coffee machine.

"Corporal," Eren tugged at Rivaille's sleeve as he later pointed at the coffee machine. "I want some coffee too!"

"You'll have milk."

"But—!"

"I said no. Go fix yourself your sandwich and then leave." Rivaille said, as he retrieved his batch of toasts to make his own sandwich with butter.

The brunet's expression wilted, his lips pulling into a pout as he stomped his way towards Rivaille's small dining table, his plate of toasts cooled down and right next to both the peanut butter and jam. He silently fixed himself his sandwich, with his lips still drawn into a pout, as Rivaille slid into the seat across from him, both coffee and a tall glass of milk being placed on the table.

The silence continued on for a while until the brunet finally brightened up when Rivaille gave him permission to drink a _small sip_ of his coffee.

"Bleh!" Eren gagged in disgust, his tongue sticking out of his mouth before he then reached for his milk and drank. "That's yucky!"

"That's because it's for adults, idiot."

"I'm an adult!" Eren argued, with yet another pout back on his lips as he continued to nibble on his sandwich.

Rivaille spared him a short glance before finishing up his own food.

"Say, Eren."

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you getting ready for school?"

That question seemed to be the ticket as Rivaille watched as the seven-year old divert his attention away from his food, leaving his half-eaten sandwich unattended on his plate.

"Um," The brunet stammered, completely avoiding eye-contact with him as much as possible. "Today is a school holiday that's why I'm not going to school…?" He tried, but to Rivaille, it sounded pretty much like a bunch of bullshit.

"Like I'm going to believe that. Tell the truth, brat."

But Eren still continued to avoid looking him in the eye.

"_Eren_."

"I got in a fight at school yesterday." Eren admitted, closing his eyes shut as he quivered in his seat, his ears and cheeks flushing pink. "So I got suspended for the week, and I'm not allowed to go back to school until my suspension is over." He sniffled, little drops of tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"So to relieve your boredom, you came to my place."

"I'm grounded too."

"Does your mother know you're here?"

"Yeah, she made pancakes and I told her I wanted to share some with you!"

"And where are they?"

"…I ate them."

"Eren."

"…Yes?"

"_**Go home**_." Rivaille ordered, putting more emphasis into his demand as he stood up to place all dishes into the sink. As he glanced at the wall clock perched above his television in his living room, he cursed to himself to find that it was already a quarter past seven o'clock.

He needed to leave now or else he'd miss the train to work.

"Eren, if you're done, grab my phone from my room." Rivaille said as he cleaned up the dining table, wiping all crumbs away, while making a mental note to wash the dishes right when he came back home. Unfortunately, those terribly filthy dishes had to wait.

Eren nodded ecstatically as he hopped out of his seat and ran down the hall towards Rivaille's bedroom.

After fixing himself and the rest of his apartment, where he had literally given his living room a good and thorough examination while he waited for the young brunet, Rivaille waited by the front door, tapping his foot irritably with his arms crossed around his chest.

"Here you go, Corporal!" Eren chirped, waving the cell phone in the air as he neared Rivaille. "What are we gonna do now—"

Before Eren could finish, however, Rivaille had dragged him out the apartment.

"We're not doing anything else. I'm going to work and you're going back to _your own_ apartment." Rivaille finished as he locked the door, giving the doorknob one final turn to ensure that it was secured and completely locked.

"But!" Eren began to protest before being once again dragged by Rivaille down to his apartment door.

"_No, buts_." Rivaille shoved him inside his apartment, shooting him a warning glare. "Stay home."

However, just before he fully closed the door, he muttered under his breath, "And if you're going to get into fights, do it somewhere inconspicuous, so you don't caught, get suspension, and always ending up at my place, you shitty brat." And with that, he shut the door behind, clicking his teeth before heading out of his apartment complex.

He had this annoying feeling in his gut that he was going to be seeing the brat everyday for the rest of the week.

* * *

**Fin.**

* * *

**Just some things to note:**

1. Rivaille will be referred to as **Corporal, **which according to Wikipedia, is an honorary rank of Police Officer in Japan, often called Senior Police Officer. Though Wikipedia might not be a reliable source, I'm just going to twist it for my use. Therefore, though he is called **Corporal, his rank is that of Captain**, which according to Wiki, is squad commander.

Therefore, please note: in this story, Rivaille will either be called **Corporal** or **Captain**, or simply **Rivaille**. I know there is heichou or lance corporal, but I'll just stick to **Corporal** for my sake.

2. There's arguments about which is preferred for Rivaille's name - either Rivaille or Levi. I like Rivaille for my own reasons, so I'm just going to stick with it.

**Please drop a review! ;D**


	2. The Scouting Legion

[ **Thank you very much for the reviews: **GuestXD, wishica, DBerryNia, sunfli-chan, Orithyea, CaramelBerry, sauri555, freshia, IsyPerolla, Flywithme, Cyril, rozentraum, Anonymous, and Diclonious57. I appreciate the reviews, since they did make me happy and inspired for this chapter! ]**  
**

**To sauri555 & Anonymous: **I guess the only spoiler I can give is that there will be a time skip. **Again to Anonymous**, I agree with the suggestions thing you pointed out. I really find it upsetting when authors ask the readers/or give the readers a chance to provide their own input into the author's story. It really ruins the plot, and for one thing, it's the author's work, not the readers. Though, suggestions are nice to hear out.

**To Cyril: **Yes, you're doing fine with reviewing. XD I'm grateful you like the story, but I'm even more grateful that you actually reviewed. I'm glad this fic made your week better!

**By the way, this is the longest chapter I've ever written before. O_O I don't normally like chapters of this length, because I get angsty about it, but...I guess I was excited? OTL**

**[ Edit: June 30, 2013 - changes to Author's notes ]**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**The Scouting Legion**

* * *

The moment he stepped inside the police department building, the cold rush of air hit his cheeks while the faint smell of brewed coffee filled his lungs, both familiar occurrences. As he further strode down the hall, he could hear the echoes of several fellow policemen, his guess proven right once his vision became filled with the sight of a large room inhabited by them.

Individual office desks stood at separate intervals apart from each other, each one's own desk top decorated with a working telephone hotline, a computer, and a whole mess of paperwork. Policemen either idled beside them or were seated at their respectable desks, going through assigned police cases and other means of paperwork. Though a few other policemen, such particular ones that belonged to a different unit of the police department—the indication shown by the slightly different uniform that they adorned—were merely huddled together, either laughing their asses off or drinking some booze without a care.

Rivaille glared heavily at that group—the special tasks force that the police department prided in protecting the more important and wealthier civilians, the unit usually tasked as elite bodyguards. Though such a group differed from the bunch of combat and fighting force that was his "Scouting Unit," they were still officers of the force, and Rivaille could only accept their existence as a necessary factor in the protection of civilians.

However, the way they dirtied their work area, leaving paper cups and empty bottles of booze lying around on their desks meant for paperwork, while such paperwork were evidently scrambled and scattered across their floor made him huff in slight irritation. Such dogs, or so he deemed them often, should have been ranked lower that the officers of the "Stationary Troops" unit, the officers who actually perform their duty in patrolling the area.

Rivaille clicked his teeth, as he strode past the boisterous "Military Police" unit, none of them having the slightest bit of respect for a police corporal.

Once he arrived to his desk and sat himself down, it had been no more than a second when batches of papers, concealed within a file envelop had been shoved in front of him. Officer Petra, a respectful smile adorning her lips, while her right arm which had not been holding the file was crossed over her chest with a fist, stood straight.

"Corporal," Petra addressed, her form still holding. "Commander Irvin ordered for you to receive this and view its contents. It seems to be of crucial importance, sir." She said, handing in the file.

"Burglary and attempted murder down at 104th Street," Rivaille leaned against his hand, as he read aloud the file's contents before handing it back to Petra with indifference, motioning her to continue on in his stead. Available members—those with the skills that he trusted, though he wouldn't admit it—had gathered around, listening in on the report.

Petra continued, "House ransacked and robbed, the target was a leading politician in the Stohess District. The reasons for his being targeted are unknown; however, the only unfortunate victim seems to be the wife, having been beaten to near death. According to officers from the Stationary Troops unit who received a distress call from neighboring witnesses," Petra then tossed the files away, the files splattered onto the floor. "It's _the usual_."

To the right of Rivaille, Auruo Bossard clicked at his teeth, as he barked, "It wouldn't be termed 'the usual' if only those dogs did their damn job right—ack!" He choked as blood seeped through his lips, having bitten his tongue in the process.

"Whether or not the dogs do their job correctly, the problem isn't with them." Erd Gin piped in from beside Auruo, leaning back on the uninhabited desk behind him. Continuing on, he gave a shrug of his shoulders, "It's _those guys_ that provide the usual trouble for the legion."

"The dogs be damned for their half-assed work," Erd continued on with a sigh on his lips. "But in the end, it's us who's got to pick up the slack anyways, so—"

"So just accept it as it is, do your job, and get rid of those pests." Rivaille interrupted with a darkened look, as he propped up his legs on his desk, a small scowl of annoyance evident.

He would've continued on if not for the interruption of a giddy and excited howl, and while everyone else blinked in bewilderment at the sound, Rivaille's scowl only widened while his irritation tipped the scale since he knew who exactly where the noise originated.

"Hello, everyone!" Hanji Zoe, the police department's very own special psychologist, chirped. She brought herself to the left side of Rivaille's desk, an ecstatic expression on her, while Moblit, her assistant, frantically trailed behind her.

"Word around 104th Street says that my sweet angels are on and about, hmm?" Hanji grinned as she poked around the files still scattered on the ground. She picked one of them up, reading through its contents to herself. "Shall we head on over and check out their handiwork?"

"Ah, their current work seems to be burglary and attempted murder, not as high class as some of their other crimes." Petra debriefed. "However, their crime rates have fluctuated as of recently, ranging between possibilities. But a crime's still a crime, and no matter how heinous," And Hanji had stood up by this time, the files secured in her hands. "They're still a dangerous batch against humanity."

Rivaille straightened up in his seat, shooting her a pointed look. "How do you like that? You sweet angels are pretty much demented little monsters with nothing better to do than bother the civilian community of Japan." He clicked his teeth with indifference. "You still interested in these damn '_Titans_'?"

Hanji only clasped her hands together as she beamed with excitement. "Well, of course!" She exclaimed. "These 'Titans,' this rogue group of criminals that range between mobsters and yakuza to delinquent high school students, they're a mystery!"

She began to pace around, mindlessly tossing the files around as she walked, the Scouting Legion watching in exasperation as she went on to ramble about the 'Titans.'

"Why do their crimes consist of anything between murders to simple shoplifting?" She began to count out. "Why do their members consist of anyone within any possible age range? I mean, remember that time with the 'Langner Institution' a few months back?! It was burnt to a crisp! And who did we find as the culprit after digging up evidence and stalking?!"

Hanji swiveled to face the group. "It was a 12 year old boy who did it! And after further investigation," She threw her hands up. "We found that he was a 'Titan'! A small class 'Titan' killing dozens of people, and he had no conscience for it either! Poor souls that they may rest in peace, but really! After interrogation, the 'Titan' held no concern for their deaths at all!"

The cold hard truth sank in, because really, that was the truth. The boy was so young, but in his eyes, the vitality of a 'Titan' was within him, the insensitivity to humanity. It was a shock; no one can understand why these 'Titans' consisted of anyone from any age. They could also never understand why these 'Titans' choose to terrorize in any matter possible.

"Why do they do this?!" Hanji continued. "What's in it for them? Why do they seem to have this vendetta against the civilian community?" She pondered to herself.

"Really, what's their reason?" Hanji tapped at her chin. "If we can just get more of them into custody, preferably the older ones, we might be able to understand them." She clapped excitedly. "We'll know what their goal is, what's wrong with them, why—"

"Why they're a bunch of psychotic freaks completely bent on destroying humanity." Rivaille finished with an unimpressed look.

"That's what I'm here for!" Hanji chirped happily. "They're such an interesting bunch of mixed-up little crazies, I can hardly control myself!" With that, she put one foot outward. "So, shall we head on down to 104th Street, and find our cute little 'Titan'?"

While Moblit cried out in protest, Rivaille merely huffed, crossing his arms. "Keep your love for these damned 'Titans' to yourself. They're a menace to society and its people, actually committing murders anytime it's convenient for them." With a glare in his eyes, his lips pulled into a thin line. "I'll be sure that these 'Titans' are eradicated by my own hands — _every single one of them_."

"That's right, Corporal!"

Silence turned up between the legion before everyone's attention was directed downwards and towards Rivaille's desk, where a young brunet poked his head out from the inside, caught between Rivaille's legs. The young boy grinned at the entire legion, looking for all he cared in the world like he belonged there.

But he didn't.

"Get out of there, you shitty brat."

Grabbing the scruff of the brunet's shirt, Rivaille pulled him out from underneath his desk; his face pulled into a sour expression as he then dropped the youngster on the floor in the middle of the squad. The brunet landed with a 'oof,' sooner standing up and gripping his bottom from the fall.

The boy whimpered for a little longer before looking up and meeting the eyes of several of the Scouting Legion above him. His expression immediately brightened up once he saw some familiar faces and when Petra had walked over to him with an apple.

"Here, Eren. Have an apple." Petra smiled with a fond expression, as she knelt down and ruffled his hair. "Now, could you tell us how you got in here?"

Eren only swallowed the bite that he had taken before raising an eyebrow at her, supposedly pointing a look towards her and the rest of the legion, however. "You know," he started, taking another bite of his apple. "For policemen, you sure don't lock your doors _and_ stay on guard." He remarked between chews. "I just walked in through the front entrance and hid inside Corporal's desk when he was talking about the 'Titans.'"

"Great. Now go home, Eren." Rivaille muttered, throwing a glare towards Eren.

"But I want to hear about the 'Titans' some more, cause I agree with you too, Corporal!" Eren beamed, determination crossing in his eyes as he stared up at the male. "I want to get rid of those nasty and bad 'Titans' too!"

"Sure, you can, kid." Auruo sniggered to himself. "Your first mission's to go home and play with your toys, and—" He yelped to himself, his tongue once again bitten.

Petra stepped in before anyone else egged Eren on, shooting the bleeding Auruo a small warning glare. She knelt in close to him, meeting his eye level as she then ruffled his hair. "Eren, you see," she started, her lips brought into a warm smile. "It's great that you want to disband the 'Titans' just as much as we do, but they're not something we can take lightly."

She pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, wiping Eren's mouth, which had been covered with saliva and the apple's juice. "The Scouting Legion has its hands tied in a knot with them. We can't defeat them now, but once we know how they tick and what they're after, we'll bring them down." Petra finished with a smile.

"But I mean it, I can help." Eren whined, looking Petra in the eyes with a pout on his lips. "I can be some kind of spy or something! Didn't you just see how I can get in here without _any_ policeman noticing?"

"Yes, well," _We were pretty busy talking about the 'Titans' actually. _She smiled. "I'm sure you're very capable of stealth and the like, but—"

"And I'm pretty strong too! Yesterday, I just got into a fight with another kid from school named Jean, and I swear, he's such a bas—"

"_Language_."

"—best jerk in town." Eren mumbled, but continued on anyways. "I gave him a rounding kick to the stomach, and he doubled over. It was pretty sweet." That fact itself had pretty much riled up the rest of the legion.

"No shit. That true, Eren?"

"Ah, youth. They're so lively."

"Doubled over, huh? What'd that get you?"

"I got a week of suspension. It's pretty unfair since he punched at me too. It was pretty weak and all, but he only got out with a couple days of suspension."

"Suspension for a week is pretty stale. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, back in my day, that kinda thing would get you expulsion or something like that."

"What's expah…expull—"

"Expulsion. It's the shit right there. You gonna aim for that next, Eren?"

"If that's better, then sure—"

"Eren," Rivaille interrupted, looking pissed and thoroughly irritated at the fact that topic had strayed from something major to something completely idiotic, as he deemed. The glare that was thrown said everything to them, '_You're policemen. Act like one, you idiots._' "**Go home**. Why'd you follow me here?"

"There's nothing to do at home." Eren admitted, his expression wilting. "Mikasa and Armin are at school, while I'm suspended." Then he looked up at Rivaille, eyes bright with determination once more. "I thought that if followed you to work today, I could learn something for the future!"

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"I mean for when I join the Scouting Legion!" Eren answered back, overjoyed and proud by his decision.

However, his feelings weren't shared as the room gave in to an eerie silence, much more empty and alert than it had been earlier. Looks were exchanged above the beaming brunet, faces scrunched into either uneasiness or discomfort at the prospect of Eren's goal.

"Eren," Petra had started before anyone else once again, her motherly instincts showing as she looked down at Eren. It was no mistake at all. Looking deeper, she could see so much fire, so much emotion of determination and strength cross through Eren's eyes that it seemed disheartening to put him down. "You might think the Scouting Legion, or the police force in general, is for the valiant and the brave, which it is, but…"

When Petra could no longer continue on to admit to the beaming boy her words, Erd had stepped in instead, rubbing at the back his head awkwardly.

"A lot of people die in the Scouting Legion. We're enemy number one against the 'Titans,' so our asses are ready for the killing first, since we actively engage them." Erd finished.

"You see, Eren," Petra gave a sad smile. "The Scouting Legion isn't just holding a gun and arresting any 'Titans' we could get our hands on. The 'Titans' aren't people we want to mess with. They're much worse than monsters, and—"

"Ah, ah!" This time, Hanji stepped in; after having been silent and observing the situation, she decided to finally give in her two cents. "I have to disagree! Listen here, Eren."

Hanji motioned Eren towards her, where Eren did, but reluctantly, having known that Hanji was famous for her crazed behavior when it came to the 'Titans.'

"The 'Titans' are just misunderstood is all!" She knelt down to Eren's height and had rung an arm around Eren's neck. "Sure, they're crazy and dangerous, but what if it's because there's something that's threatening them? What if they're the ones who are scared, and we're the bullies? What if their demoralizing and destruction of the civilian community is just a painful cry for help of which we have blatantly ignored all this time and—"

A rounding smack to her head stopped her from finishing her statement, and when Eren looked behind Hanji, he shrunk slightly at the stoned gaze that Rivaille was sending to him.

"Don't listen to her, Eren. She's just caught up in her own fantasies." Rivaille picked Eren and tugged him apart from the group, settling him down in front of them. "It's up to you what you think of the 'Titans.'"

"I don't like them!" Eren answered to which Rivaille nodded.

"And it's up to you if you want to join the Scouting Legion—"

"I do!" Eren cried out.

"But it's life-or-death with us, and if you think you've got the guts, then sign up for it or whatever when you're ready." Rivaille shoved him slightly, pushing him towards the hall leading to the front entrance. "Go home, you shitty brat, and stop coming here whenever you feel like it. _That's an order_." He finishes with a steel gaze.

Eren reels back with a flinch, unwillingly walking towards the front entrance. When Rivaille orders it, it's official and there's no room for protest.

"And take the route with a lot people, and don't follow any strangers home, get it, brat?"

Eren doesn't answer, but he does give a short nod, as he sullenly walks out of the police department, completely determined, despite their words, to join the Scouting Legion once he's older.

* * *

While he walks down the street, he notices and hears blasts of police sirens echoing down the road, seemingly coming his way. In a few seconds, a black car with an odd symbol etched on its side drives by at high speed opposite from him, almost running over a few pedestrians walking across. Not a moment later does he witness two police cars speeding down after it as well, tailing the black car in a chase, garnering the attention of several passer-bys.

He could only blink in bewilderment and wonder of what's happening, and as he looks around, he could tell others were curious too.

"Eren!"

Looking up, Eren could see his mother waving over at him as she picks up her pace to meet him. Eren immediately clasps his hand together with hers, tottering over to her side and just barely noticing the bags of groceries in her other hand.

"Mom, did you see that?" Eren pipes up, looking behind him almost as if he could still see the car chase.

"I did. They zoomed right past me once I stepped out of the market." Carla Jeager tapped at her chin, her eyes wide. "If I had decided to cross the street at the time, do you think I would've gotten hit?"

"Mom!"

"I'm just wondering. Come on, Mikasa and Armin will coming back from school soon, right? We should make a snack for them, hm?" She smiles.

"…Fine."

"Which reminds me, Eren," Carla starts, tapping her chin once more.

"Yeah?"

"Where have you been all day? Did you forget that you were grounded?"

_Ah. He really should've listened when Corporal had told him to go home._

"…I wasn't...I didn't go anywhere..."

"I see. You know, Corporal Rivaille is awfully busy." She chirps. "I guess it wouldn't be a good idea to always let you go over to his place, don't you think?"

"...Err, what does that mean?"

"**You're grounded for another week.**"

* * *

**Fin.**

* * *

On one note, I think I butchered Erd. I dunno. I made Rivaille a softie or something. In truth, the Rivaille I'm trying to portray is supposed to imitate the Rivaille I saw on a comic on a post on tumblr. OTL. I don't know what's wrong with me. XD I think I got Eren's mom all wrong too. Oh well. She won't be there too long-whoops, spoiler alert (character death). XD Well, not really a spoiler, since it does happen in the anime/manga.

Thank you very much for reading this chapter! Regardless of whether or not you're interested in my little challenge, I hope to get a review at the least. Thank you very much to those who have favorited or followed this story! I appreciate it nonetheless! :)

**With Eren making snacks for Mikasa and Armin,**

**- Sabrina**


	3. You're Next

**[ Notes** ]: First, I'm terribly sorry. I hadn't meant to keep people up with a late update, but the truth is: 1.) I just went on a long, **cruel** roadtrip, and 2.) I've been overwhelmed with too many things.

_Thank you to all those who took time to review, favorite, and follow_! I'm glad to know that CitC is getting some attention! :3 Hopefully, this chapter won't disappoint. Oh, and thank you to the sweetheart jaytodd-1129 on tumblr for the messages!

[ **Thank you to these people for reviewing (in order)**: SeraphineHeartfilia, DBerryNia, GuestXD, IsyPerolla, Diclonious57, Cyril, makkakaus, Guest(#1), kgy9417, Shampoo, sauri555, Pennilee, rozentraum, Yuu3, Petal, CountMushroom, FallieAngel, SomeoneLoves u, Sabrina, fran, anne, itsbritneybitch0, Guest(#2), Namio, Guest(#3), Aeternum Spe, and Nerocchi! ]

[ **EDIT: 7/28/13 – Changes to Author's Notes, corrections to grammar errors, and a few revisions.** ]

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**You're Next**

* * *

"Well, look who's back!"

Connie Springer smirked at the two small figures that had just appeared under the classroom doorway, both of his arms crossed over his chest. "I mean, not that you were being missed or anything."

Eren rolled his eyes as he stepped further into the room, the fresh scent of crayons and glue offering a bit of familiarity. Combined with the crayoned scent, the putrid stench of rotten food and pine-cone air fresheners mixed in altogether as well, but did nothing to neutralize the odd, bad odor. Eren groaned in concert to the chatter and several cries of laughter in the multi-colored and student artwork decorated room.

Before Eren could retort back, a tug on the sleeve of his shirt interrupted him and soon he found himself being dragged towards the shelves that housed the schoolbags and lunchboxes. He heard a snicker from Connie after he fell on his bottom, still being hauled towards the shelves at the same pace.

"H-Hey, Mikasa, let go!" Eren struggled against the dark-haired girl's grip, trying to grab at the back of his shirt in order to get the girl to release him.

However, Mikasa said nothing, her grip unyielding even as she came across a few boys in her path—boys who most likely had encountered Mikasa's wrath at one point since they had steered clear of her the moment she came close—and continued on towards the shelves. It was by the time that the two had gotten so close that Mikasa had finally let go of Eren, who had then fallen flat on top of his backpack. With a grumble, Eren brushed the dust of his pants as he picked himself up, refusing the girl's offer to stowaway his backpack for him and opting to do it himself.

His lips had pulled into a boyish pout as he roughly hung his backpack on one of the empty hooks nearby.

"Sheesh, Mikasa, I could walk, you know!" Eren scowled, walking past Mikasa once he had finished. He returned back towards where Connie stood, annoyed, "I hate it when you do that."

"It's really great to have you back, Eren." Connie cut in, still with a snicker, while Mikasa nodded in agreement on the side. His arm draped around Eren's shoulder, Connie cackled. "Since you and Jean weren't around causing a fight, things were quiet around here! I swear, I was gonna die from the boredom!"

Again, just as Eren was going to respond, he was interrupted; this time by someone that caused him to groan in obvious annoyance.

"Oh, please," Jean Kirshtein joined the group from behind, his expression of similar annoyance and dislike akin to Eren's. "Who would miss him?" He sneered for a small moment before collecting himself and directing his attention towards Mikasa.

"H-Hey there, Mikasa," he stammered out, a faint red dusting his cheeks. "Um, you look pretty—" He then bit at his tongue with a yelp—an action that Eren found somehow familiar with—as he stammered out, "I mean, good morning." He hung his head down, ears finally reddened to the tip.

Unfortunately, much to Jean's disappointment, Mikasa merely nodded her head as a point of greeting. "Eren." She nudged at the brunet, pointing a finger towards the teacher, who had been scolding Sasha Braus for sneakily snatching some of the packed lunches.

The teacher's scolding of "You can't eat the other students' lunches" was heard, as Eren groaned, moving away from Mikasa. "I'll see Sensei later, Mikasa!" he grumbled at the girl and then his attention back onto Jean, his lips brought into a sneer. "Thanks for getting me suspended, jerk!"

Jean snapped out of his blush as he redirected a growl towards the scowling brunet. He pointed an accusing finger towards Eren. "Don't give me that! You're the dipshit that got me suspended!"

"Are you insane?! It was your entire fault!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

No sooner had both boys yelled out, grabbing at each other with shirts bunching in the other's fist. The scuffle had already gathered the attention of several other students—the males to be exact—as a small group formed around the two, who had given in to tumbling over the other. Eren had pinned down Jean by the shoulders by the time hoots and hollers erupted only to be overturned with his face slammed flat into the ground. Connie whooped just the same at the brawl, alternatively cheering for either boy with no sense of loyalty.

The fight went on for about five minutes until it was interrupted by Mikasa, who had hauled Eren away from Jean, and the homeroom teacher, who had shot a warming glance to the group of students. Students scrambled back to their seats, Jean left sprawled out in the middle on the floor and shrinking back at the sight of the teacher, while Mikasa rejoined the teacher's side with Eren in tow.

It didn't take long for punishment to be placed once the teacher pointed towards the front corners of the classroom, issuing a good time-out for the first thirty minutes of class.

Eren groaned to himself as he pressed his forehead against the corner, his lips releasing a bunch of curse words to which he earned an immediate "No cursing, Eren!" He was dead, Eren decided; though that thought wasn't directed at Jean. His mom was going to be furious—murder-seeking angry as hell, most likely—since it hadn't even been more than twenty minutes when he first stepped into the class that he had gotten himself into trouble.

In comparison, suspension was more like a field day than standing in the corner with nothing to do — not that Eren wanted to be suspended again, since he was sure that his mom would really then decide to kill him. But the time he spent at the Police Station—whether they had wanted him there or not—beat a day at S.N.K. Elementary by a long shot, Eren believed, his resolve to join the force growing stronger.

The moment his time-out had ended—really, how old did his teacher think they were?—Eren and Jean re-met, this time in a less conspicuous and obvious part of the classroom out of viewing range.

"Eren." Armin Arlet blanched; apparently, he had arrived into the class by the time he and Jean had been sentenced to time-out, and was updated with the happenings of the morning. The blonde shook his head, holding Eren back and trying to steer him away from Jean. "You just got in trouble. Don't make things worse for yourself than it already is."

Mikasa held onto Eren's arm, simply holding him in place.

Eren, however, chose to ignore the two, opting with a pointed glare towards Jean. "You got me in trouble again," he growled. "What the heck is with you?!"

"You're the one who started a fight with me again, you dipshit!"

While Eren and Jean then stepped head-to-head against each other—of which Connie who had joined the group had commented that they both started it at the same time, only to be largely ignored—Armin let out an exasperated sigh.

"Guys," Armin sounded tired; after all, dealing with them was too much like a chore in itself. "I'm not trying to advocate you two fighting, but at least wait a week before starting another fight." Even he was getting bewildered by what he was saying, but really, this kind of thing didn't need to happen every other day.

Though irritated, Eren turned his head, his muttered "Fine, whatever" heard as he crossed his arms.

Jean only clicked his teeth, turning the other cheek as well with his arms similarly crossed.

From the side, Connie whistled, wholly impressed. "Wow, that's a new record." He turned his attention towards Eren, who was now trying to pry Mikasa's hold off him. "What'd you do during your suspension, Eren?" he piped up with a raised eyebrow. "Did ya go to some attitude adjustment class or somethin'?"

"No," Eren answered between gritted teeth, glancing at Connie. He held his chin up, trying to look a bit more mature. "I spent my time helping the Scouting Unit." He pointed his thumb at himself, then looking proud. "After all, I need to learn as much as I can for when I join."

"You want to become a policeman?" Connie sounded incredulous, before doing a double-take on that. "No — wait, you want to join the Scouting Unit?"

"Yeah." This time, Eren pointed a raised eyebrow at Connie. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, it's just that." Connie shrugged his shoulders. "If I were to become a policeman, I'd rather apply for something else other than the Scouting Unit."

Eren clenched his fists, getting stirred up at this point. "What's wrong with the Scouting Unit?"

"Nothing else, but that they're a bunch of loser pansies." Jean rejoined; his lips brought into a smirk. "They don't do shit or anything!"

Eren took a threatening step towards Jean with narrowed eyes. "Take that back."

But Jean ignored the threat, his expression carelessly dismissive and haughty as he continued on. "I mean, they've been on the Titans case for years, maybe even before our parents or grandparents were born, and there still hasn't been any useful info on them!" he sneered. "The Military Unit's done more work and has actually been useful to humanity than the stupid Scouting Unit."

Connie pointed a curious glance at Jean, "I take it that you want become a policeman too?"

"Hell yeah, I do!" Jean agreed with a taunting grin as he stared down at Eren. This time, he pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm going to be head chief of the Military Unit one day." He smirked. "After all, they're the ones who get the glory and the honor. They reap the benefits and the rewards, so obviously they're the best."

"Of course, you'd think that." Eren scowled, his clenched fists twitching. "After all, lazy damned dogs think alike!" He then brought his hands up and gave a shove at Jean. "It's the lazy dogs that don't do shit around here even though the citizens are being terrorized by criminals like the Titans! No matter what, they still get the praise!"

Not one to back down, Jean stepped up against Eren as well, this time both just inches apart from each other. "The Scouting Legion's shit! Didn't you hear me? Nothing they've done has actually helped humanity!"

Fearing that this tenseness would dig in deeper, Armin motioned for Mikasa to fetch the teacher while he tried to hold Eren back, relenting actions than words since he knew Eren wouldn't listen.

"Are you kidding me?" Eren's voice dripped with venom as he shook, eyes wild. "The Scouting Legion gets more casualties than the damned military dogs! They're the ones who do the hard work around here, keeping everyone safe! Those dogs do nothing but lounge around! I've seen it!"

"Then why haven't the Titans been figured out yet!" Jean challenged, shoving at Eren. "Why are there more murders and terrorism happening all the time? That just shows that the Scouting Legion's done nothing but shit around!"

He didn't know how, but Armin could feel something in Eren finally snap, and his guess was proven right, because the next second, all he could witness was Eren lunging for Jean's neck and face. Fists were drawn and held up from both boys, who had then tumbled down to the ground, wrestling each other. Armin let out a strangled cry once he saw both boys beat at each other in ways that was only meant for pro-fights that he's seen on television.

"Asshole!"

"Bastard!"

"Motherfuckin' Jerk!"

"Damned Dipshit!"

Eventually, the teacher had arrived and broken up the spat—with the help of Mikasa, actually—and with a reddened, angered face, had sent the two to the Primcipal's Office, where they received an earful lecture of "Why fighting isn't the right answer" and "Seven-year olds shouldn't be able to curse like that, and why it's not allowed." However, the lectures went ignored in practice the moment one of them—most likely Eren, Armin guessed as he heard his friend's shrill scream—retorted and another short fight erupted in the Principal's Office.

That day, Eren found himself sporting a number of bruises and a small black eye from being punched in the face. His mother had been called in eventually, and he spent his entire snack and lunchtime writing "I will not always start a fight" on the pieces of paper in the smallest sized font he could write in—they even checked it line by line—and alternatively, switching cleaning duty with Jean, who had been given the same punishment. The 'charming' smile he received from his mother spelt evil more than the monster in his closet, as he was then given "no video games, no television, and no visiting the Police Station for a week" as punishment.

* * *

"Man," Eren breathed in sharply.

Fingers reached upwards to trail at the darkened area around his eye, the throbbing flesh sending a cold pain and causing him to wince. He groaned, "It hurts so much, damnit!"

"Well," Armin huffed as he caught up to Eren's right side, while Mikasa took to the left. "If you stopped poking at it, and just keep the ice pressed against it, then it might not hurt so much."

It was a helpful offer, but Eren knew better. He could catch the slight sarcasm in the blonde's tone, the irritation pointed at him that dripped in the words. Eren couldn't blame him; it was known amongst others that Armin held the responsibility for making sure that Eren didn't get into too much trouble.

Eren felt bad for the trouble—the stress—that he put his friend into, but he couldn't help it, really. There were just so much that made his blood boil—bullies, unfair rules, Jean—and the small scuffles were just the usual aftermath.

"Sorry." Eren apologized, looking down with the one eye still unharmed. He then glanced at Armin, who met him with a curious gaze. "For putting you and Mikasa," He glanced shortly at the dark-haired girl beside him, who had given him a curt nod, as he continued on. "Through all the troublesome things that I do."

"If you could just keep it at a minimum, then that would be great." Armin piped up as an offer, but Eren could finally hear the playfulness in it, which made him grin. "After all, we're going to be crime-fighting partners!"

That caused Eren's grin to stretch wider, as he pumped a fist into the air.

"That's right!" Eren agreed; however, before he continued, he moved aside for a passerby to walk through the trio, since they had pretty much occupied the entire sidewalk.

School had ended just a half an hour ago, with the trio now strolling down Isayama Main Street to return to their homes in the Shiganshina Apartment Complex. Few civilians hustled down Isayama Street at this time, but for the trio, it was all a routine sight—the convenience store coming up on their left just across Maria Park, which laid beautifully, with its wide children's playground set and the flowers, on the other side of Isayama Street.

Eren continued, rejoining Armin's side with the same ecstatic grin. "We'll make up the best squad of the force!" Then he paused, giving it some thought before revealing a sheepish smile. "Well, after Corporal Rivaille's squad, of course. But still, our squad will be made of the best members!"

"We'll keep the civilians safe." Armin smiled, delighted at that thought. "We'll be the ones to get rid of all the evil-doers!"

"Yeah." Eren's brightened at his friend's suggestions. His fists clenched hard with determination, "We'll especially get rid of those evil Tita—"

Eren's words went unfinished once two tall men—so huge and tall that they could be giants—stepped onto the sidewalk in front of them, momentarily halting the trio in their footsteps. The two—both probably a little more than six feet and in their late twenties—sported a darkened appearance, something almost akin to looking like a _monster_, that it forced a frightened shudder down his spine. Though their impossible height—really, despite all the adults in his life, it was still a rarity to see incredible tall men—forced his breath to be caught, it was the symbol on the sleeves of their shirts.

That symbol had left him in slight paranoid—it often appeared in his head, flashing repeatedly as if it called for him. It was a simple symbol—this eerie blood red smile with white teeth bared, the kind one would see on monsters that seemed to smirk—but it seemed like a grin that spelt evil and destruction. He had first seen the symbol on the black car that was chased down by policemen, and in that whole duration, he felt like it was directed at him—at anyone who had been on the sidewalk, really.

The smile was wide and sinister, almost as if it whispered, "_You're next._"

Even for himself, Eren hadn't the slightest idea for what led him to that thought, but it was a mixed message well-received. He didn't even want to question it, but it wouldn't stop coming to him, forcing him to question, "_For what?_"

He snapped out of his reverie once he felt a tug at his shirt, and when he turned, it had been Mikasa pulling at him, while Armin stood concerned from behind. For some reason, it slipped his mind that they were just returning home, passing by good ol' Maria Park, with the intention of playing video games and eating snacks later.

"Eren."

Mikasa had leaned in close, while her dark eyes bore into him, trying to pinpoint the reason for what put him in a daze. Eren shook his head, pulling apart from Mikasa, but then sooner freezing once more when he caught one of the two giants glance at them.

Even if it had been for a second, that short glance made him feel like he was about to get the answer—_next for what, he feared to ask_—as if that smile on their shoulders had snickered at him.

"_Eren!_"

"Yeah?" Eren answered; though, he didn't realize it until he heard his own voice. He turned his head towards his friends, his heart almost about to burst. His voice choked, "Is something wrong?"

"I think we should be asking you that." Armin frowned.

"Are you alright, Eren?" Mikasa held onto his wrist, her grip gentle though tight. "You were pale."

"I'm fine, Mikasa." Eren breathed. "I'm seriously okay, guys."

From the corner of his eye, Eren watched as the two males swaggered into the convenience store's parking lot, their direction towards the store's entrance. He watched them enter and disappear inside, their black-clad figures visible enough through the near-transparent windows. Eren continued to watch as the two strolled through the aisles, easy-paced and throwing glances at each other, looking every bit of suspicious as a whole.

"Eren, did you want to go to the store?" Armin offered from the side, and Eren could only shoot him a wild look.

Hadn't they seen those two men? Didn't they get the feeling that something was ominous—_dangerous_—about them?

"If you wanted to buy something," Armin said. "We can scrape up some money between us and—"

"_No._" Eren breathed out, his wild look easing into a daze. He failed to register his next words. "_Go home, you guys._"

Armin was about to say something else, before he stopped and pointed a bewildered look at Eren, mouth left open. He shared a glance with Mikasa just before he cocked his head to the side, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "Just us?"

"I mean," Eren started. "You guys can go on ahead without me, because I forgot—" he then blinked.

He really didn't know what he was doing at this point. "I forgot that I needed to see Sensei after school to talk about detention."

"We'll go back with you." Mikasa said, as she then strutted towards Eren and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him towards the direction of school.

"Wait, wait! Mikasa!" Eren struggled against the girl's tight grip, his feet skidding against the concrete pavement. He almost fell forward, as he grunted out, "Let go of me, Mikasa!"

She did release him, but remained close. Armin stood apart from them, still worried and curious towards Eren's insistence for them to return home without him.

Eren shook his head. "Guys, I can go back by myself. Seriously." He let out an exasperated sign before stepping forward and giving Armin and Mikasa a light push on their backs. "_I want to go by myself_. Just tell mom that I'll be a little late before dinner, Mikasa. I'll be back before nighttime. That's all." He shooed them off, as he waved his hands dismissively. "Okay?"

Although it took a while, Eren managed to convince them to go home without him, leaving him to stand there alone as he waved goodbye. Until their retreating figures were finally out of sight and no longer going to return, Eren zoomed towards the parking lot belonging to the convenience store.

He ducked behind the side of one of the cars, peeking through its window. It seemed that few of the current customers felt uncomfortable with the two men, almost literally running out the store. Eren gulped, frightened but determined; if he wanted to be a brave policeman one day, then he needed to do _this_.

Both men had rejoined each other in the back, gliding through the aisles with their hands in their pockets. Once they had reached the front, the two had separated, one heading to guard the double-door entrance, whereas the one sauntering over to where the cashier and the register stood.

_If what happened on those police detective shows were true, _Eren guessed, _the next thing that should happen would be—_

Soon, the sound of a gunshot could be heard, its echo bringing a silent chill in the air. He saw that both men had pulled out a gun, one of them pointing the firearm at the cashier, the other swarming through the aisles and gathering the remaining customers to line up against the wall opposite of the entrance. Once the one who held the cashier at gunpoint turned towards his partner, Eren decided that it was either now or never as he rushed towards the convenience store.

He paused at the wall near the entrance, peeking inside. Both of the men were now preoccupied with ordering and barking at the current hostages—a woman, an elderly man, and three young boys—to sit on the ground against the wall. It took one deep breath, as Eren then turned and stepped up to the transparent double-door entrance.

He pushed it open, silently glad that not a sound was made when he entered and that both of the men had been preoccupied as he slipped inside. The rush of cold air and the adrenaline in his veins sent shudders down his spine, as he ducked in between the horizontal-lined shelves of the aisles, thankfully going unnoticed by either of the men or of the hostages. He crawled towards the back of the store, heading towards the far end of the shelf whilst remaining hidden.

"_Get it out_."

His back against the shelves, Eren held his breath.

He heard the airy and flapped sound of a bag being opened, coupled with the clink of coins and the rustle of paper. He peeked around the corner of the shelf.

One of the men—this one mustached and about three more inches taller than the other—held up a trash bag in front of the lined-up hostages, his lips brought into a snarl, as he demanded, "Throw whatever electronics and money ya got in here now!"

"Dump your purse in here too!" He leered at the only woman—a brunette probably in her late twenties—in the group of hostages.

"But this purse was a gift," she whimpered out, but the finger that the man held onto the trigger stopped her from further protesting. She broke out into a silent cry, as she tore her purse—it looked brand new and thoroughly expensive in quality—from her shoulder and handed it to him.

The woman wept as the mustached-man tossed her purse in with no disregard for her tears as he then moved along the line, still holding out the bag open. Compared to her, the elderly man calmly slipped his rugged, leather wallet into the bag, holding his hands up in defense afterwards. "Unlike you youngsters, I don't have any electronics." And to prove his point, the elder patted at his pockets.

The gigantic man simply scowled as he moved on to the three young boys, two of them looked to be teenagers, one blonde while the other was dark-haired. The bag was nearly shoved into their faces, as the dark-haired one slipped in his wallet and cell phone, while the blonde boy just slipped in a wallet, remaking that his father had never given him a cell phone, and just like the elder man, had patted down all his pockets. Similarly, the last boy, hidden behind the two older ones, dropped in a few coins and had repeated the same action as the others, indicating that he also had no cell phone.

"What kid, yer parents don't feed ya or somethin'?" The man snarled as he reached into the bag and dug his hand around, feeling the coins. "Don't tell me that's all ya got!"

"_No_." Eren heard the boy snort, his voice awfully familiar. "_I was going to buy a snack, but you guys are apparently into stealing from a kid!_"

The man almost made a move towards the boy, his fist clenching at the rim of the bag, until he was stopped by his partner. With a click of his teeth, the man shot a glare at the younger boy before spinning on his heel and muttering, "I'm gonna shoot your brains out first, brat."

Eren peeked out from the other corner of the shelf, watching as the two men huddled and stored the money gathered from the hostages and from the cash register into one bag. Eren then felt delighted with his luck once he saw that they began to get into a conversation, both whispering under their breaths. Though Eren could only guess that there was more in store than just a simple robbery—after all, not all the robbers in those police detective shows just robbed and ran—it felt like Lady Luck had smiled upon him as an opportunity to sneak to the hostages was opened.

He took a deep breath and crawled out from behind the shelf, heading towards the hostages. From the corner of their eyes, Eren saw as each hostage jumped a little as he neared the teenage boys. He quickly put a finger to his mouth as he moved in closer.

"Hey," Eren whispered as he sat himself next to the blonde boy, ducking his head to look less conspicuous. He leaned in close to the boy's ear, looking the hostages over as he continued. "I'm here to help, so—what the heck?!"

Eren's mouth dropped, his words cut off as he looked past the two teenage boys.

Flabbergasted, Eren hissed, "What the heck are _you_ doing here?!"

"I could say the same to you, Jaeger!" From the left side of the dark-haired teen, Jean scowled as he sat cross-legged. He leaned in with a snarl on his lips. "The heck do you think you're doing?! Playing 'Cops and Robbers'?!"

"Shut up!" Eren barked back before he groaned. "Of all the people that I had to save, it had to be this guy!"

"I don't want to be saved by an idiot like you!"

"What'd you say, you jerk!"

"You heard me, you damned brat!"

"Fine, go get your brains shot out, you—"

Eren didn't finish as a chuckle echoed out, and when both he and Jean turned their heads, both were surprised to find that the blonde one of the teenage boys laughing.

"I take it that you two are really good friends?" The blonde spoke up, raising an amused eyebrow.

Scrunching his face in disgust, Eren shuddered, "Friends? With him?" He stuck his tongue out. "Not even."

"Don't lump me together with this idiot." Jean grumbled, before shooting the two boys a curious glare. "Anyways, who are you two?"

"I'm Reiner Braun," The blonde answered, before indicating with a turn of his head to the dark-haired male next to him. "And this is my friend, Bertholdt Fubar."

"Nice to meet you guys! I'm Eren Jaegar!" Eren nodded his head, while across from him, Jean muttered "I'm Jean Kirshtein under his breath." Eren continued, noting how both Reiner and Bertholdt were tall and slightly muscled, but not quite exactly a teenager. "Er, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you guys? Thirteen?"

This time, Bertholdt shook his head as he looked at Jean then back at Eren. "Actually, the both of us are ten-years old." He paused for a moment, "Well, Reiner's turning eleven soon though."

"T-Ten?" Jean spluttered, his cheeks dusted with a faint pink. Eren could only guess that Jean may have shared the same thought.

"Wow," Eren gawked, stunned. "You guys could pass for thirteen. I thought you were like a teenager or something." He then pointed at himself. "I'm seven-years old." He then jabbed a thumb in Jean's direction. "And so is that jerk, I think."

Reiner let out another chuckle. "Right. It's great to meet you guys, especially in this kind of amazing situation." He looked around, implying the whole hostage situation.

Before Eren could answer, Jean interrupted instead, breaking out into complaint. "Are you kidding me?! This freakin' sucks!" He groaned in despair, head hanging down. "I just wanted to buy a snack before I got home, but no, I become a hostage instead!"

"How do you think I feel?" Eren growled. Though, he wouldn't be lying if he said he felt the same as Jean. "I'm already grounded! It's another week for me if I don't get home before dark!" Outside, the sun had begun to set, a serene orange painted across the skies while a nice pink tinted the clouds.

However, instead of continuing on, a curious thought suddenly struck Eren as he turned towards Reiner and Bertholdt. "Speaking of homes, do you two live close or around here?"

For a moment, Eren found it odd that the question shook Reiner and Bertholdt for a bit, seemingly catching them off guard. The two shared a short glance before Reiner answered, looking a bit reserved. "Why do you ask?"

Feeling the tenseness in the male's tone, Eren backed off a little. "I mean, it's just that I've never seen you two around before and you guys are ten, so you must have lived here for some time, right?" Eren explained, talking as if on thin ice. "I don't know every kid around here, but at least, I can spot familiar faces." He tried once more. "Erm, do you live near here? Or where do you guys go to school?"

"We live in an orphanage." Bertholdt answered, though he did look at Reiner for a quick moment. "We lost our parents about three years ago, so now, we're orphans."

Eren furrowed his eyebrows together, and so did Jean, as they both found Bertholdt's words strange. "Weird. I didn't know that there was an orphanage near here—"

"It's not near here." Reiner's lips drew into a thin line, almost looking like a frown. "It's a little far from here, but Bert and I just happened to decide to walk farther and we came across this store by chance." Firm and serious in tone, Reiner continued. "We're homeschooled too, and nothing else." He looked at Eren. "What about you two?"

"Unfortunately," Eren grunted with a roll of his eyes as he gestured at himself and Jean. "We're both classmates at S.N.K. Elementary, but I live in the Shiganshina Apartment Complex." He chirped. "It's not too far from here, so I come to this store and the park a lot."

Jean huffed from the side, "I just live in a neighborhood around here, just a little past Shiganshina."

"Right." Reiner nodded his head. "Actually, we visited the park a few times before, but it's rare."

Though Jean didn't care about the two, he couldn't help but feel that their replies were all too weird. He didn't know if Eren could see it, seeing as how Eren was happily chatting with them, but Reiner, in particular, looked hesitant, something akin to being cautious with his answers.

"Well, I only visit the park usually after I finish my homework or on the weekends with my friends." Eren pondered. "Is it because you guys have too much homework that you don't go to the park often or—"

"Are you an idiot?" Jean interrupted with a growl. "Just because they're homeschooled doesn't mean that there's more homework! They just said that their orphanage is far from here, so obviously it's annoying just to go so far just for a park!"

"Don't call me an idiot!" Eren cried out in a whisper. "You're the idiot here!"

"You're the idiot!"

"No, you're the idiot—"

Eren opened his mouth to retort, but the sound of a gun click forced him to clamp his mouth shut. He and the others became silent, waiting and listening for the men's next move.

"_Ya know this ain't enough to get accepted._"

Eren heard one of them grunt out, sounding most likely from the taller one.

"I fuckin' know that."

The other one muttered, as both men then continued into another conversation. Eren huffed, and mulling his thoughts over, he turned to the others and gave a nod of his head. The three blinked in confusion, while Eren tried to gesture over to the other side of the aisle, indicating his next range of actions. Jean spluttered in protest, face-palming himself as he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest as a 'no, don't do it!'

However, Eren rolled his eyes, relieved that neither Reiner nor Bertholdt said a word of protest about his suggestions. Though, he did miss another shared glance between the two of them.

Not a second sooner did Eren further ignore Jean's protests as he crawled back to the far end of the shelf. Once there, he then pressed himself close to it, peeking out towards the other side, where he found both of the black-clad men standing near the middle aisle.

"They say we gotta do somethin' extreme if we wanna get in." The taller one drawled out. "Apparently, robbin' a damned store ain't enough."

"Then how 'bout we gun 'em down." The shorter one suggested, cocking his gun higher as its steel surface glistened in the light. "We can make some pretty holes in the lady there."

Eren's breath hitched, his eyes widening as he his heart beat against his chest.

His mother never made him watch what happened to hostages in those old detective shows, saying that those parts were too violent for him. He'd never think that he'd actually find out.

"We empty the place out, yet?"

"Nah." The shorter one neared the cash register, lazily pointing his gun at the blonde cashier, who hadn't even reacted to being under gun point. "Hey, where's the safe of this place?"

The blonde cashier, a man who looked to be in his thirties or forties, held a stern gaze, lips pulled into a thin frown as he continued to just stare at both the man and the gun in front of him. Eren blinked, curious about the cashier; even if the guy wasn't frightened of the gun, at least the guy should've made some kind of defiant reaction.

"Oi." The taller one joined his partner's side, holding up his gun as well. He glanced at the cashier's employee uniform, spotting the name tag. "_Smith_," He sneered, moving in close to press the gun against Smith's skull. "Do ya want to die today?"

However, Smith still didn't flinch or respond—and Eren furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion at this—before lifting up his left arm and pointing towards the side, the direction of his finger towards a door with a sign that read, 'Employees Only.'

_Really, how did anyone miss that?_ Eren thought as he watched Smith, who still remained unaffected, pushed down the guns away from him with his hands. The two men snarled at this, immediately bringing the guns back up again.

"It's the back, past the employee's lounge." Smith started, as his hand moved to grab the cleanser and an old rag from behind, promptly cleaning the counter's surface. "Only employees know the password." He finished as he then looked up, eyes beaming with seriousness, quite unbefitting a convenience store cashier.

_Who is that guy?_ Eren blinked.

Such thoughts remained unanswered as the shorter one then grabbed at Smith by the shirt, dragging him out from behind the counter, the gun brought to the back of Smith's skull.

"Then you're comin' with me, Smith." He shoved Smith towards the door, swinging it open and forcing Smith inside. "Hey, watch guard!" He growled at his partner; meanwhile, However, Smith still seemed to be unaffected. "C'mon, move yer ass, Smith!"

Eren continued to watch the taller one, who had been left behind and mumbled, "No one gonna be comin' here. I fuckin' put the closed sign up." The man just grabbed at a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, fingers immediately lighting the stick up, as he then leaned against the counter, seemingly unconcerned about the hostages.

Taking the opportunity, Eren crawled back and rejoined Reiner's side.

"What's up?" Reiner leaned his head to the side, passive in tone as he whispered to Eren.

Eren whispered back, "I'm going to call the police."

With a raised eyebrow, Reiner turned to Eren, "Aren't they going to just kill us before the police arrive? Wouldn't it be just useless?"

"I know that," Eren pointed out. "But I actually know a policeman strong enough to rescue us."

Eyes wide, Reiner shot Eren an incredulous look. "_You have connections to the police_?"

"I just know a guy." Eren explained with a grunt, eyebrows furrowed. "But I just need to figure out how to contact him…"

From the side, Reiner remained quiet, an unnoticed, but strange glint in his eyes as he watched Eren silently mull over the idea. He shared another glance with Bertholdt, before digging into the back pockets of his pants.

"Eren," Reiner called out, hand pulling out a cell phone from behind. "Use my phone if you're seriously sure that this guy can help us out."

"Thanks, Reiner," Eren blinked in amazement as he examined the phone, nodding his head when Reiner had questioned if he knew how to use it. He then looked up, a grin upon his lips. "And trust me, Corporal can get us out of here!"

Bertholdt tossed Eren a curious look. "'Corporal'?"

"Lance Corporal Rivaille! Corporal, for short!" Eren beamed at the two. "He's the police force's strongest policeman!" He looked down at the phone in his hands. "Just a quick call to his cell phone and—"

"_Wait a minute_." Jean suddenly interrupted with a bewildered expression. "I thought you told the guy that you didn't have a cell phone." He narrowed his eyes at Jean. "Why did you lie about—"

"_I hid it_." Reiner sharply answered, as he looked back at Jean. "And I was just lucky that they didn't do a body search or something." He then turned his attention back towards Eren. "_Why don't you call the police officer now, Eren? That way, everyone can be saved?_"

His tongue sticking out from the corner of his mouth, Eren quietly punched in the numbers. The black-clad man still stood by the counter, bored and still oblivious to what was happening.

Eren remained quiet once he finally heard the low ring from the receiving end of the phone.

It gave a small buzz before he finally heard a crackled, "…_What?_"

"Corporal!"

"Eren, you brat, I'm busy."

"Wait, Corporal, listen," Eren whispered. He reviewed his environment for a moment. "I'm trapped as a hostage at a store—"

"—You're _what_?"

Rivaille's voice sounded like a hiss.

"Trapped as a hostage," Eren repeated. "Right, so there are other hostages here and—"

"_Wait, Eren_." He could feel Rivaille's stone-hard glare through the line, the iciness and intensity of it. "_Which store are you talking about_?"

"Huh?" Eren blinked, finding it rather odd that Rivaille's tone held something of anger, caution, and _familiarity_ in it. "I'm the convenience store across Maria Park. Why—"

"E-Eren!" Jean interrupted with a stammer, a bit shaken up and eyes wide.

"What?!" Eren growled, low under his breath. He would've continue on with a snappy remark if not for the fact that it had suddenly clicked to him that Jean—the jerk—had actually called him by his first name and was now spluttering indignantly.

Not a second too soon had a large figure overshadow him, the outline of his own shadow conjoined with another into a deformed shape.

"Hey, whatcha got there, lil' guy?" Eren froze before peering over his shoulder.

He was met with the sight of the tallest one of the criminal pair, the light behind darkening the man's features and deforming him to look like a monster—a true devilish-looking giant of some sort. The black-clad man smirked, cigarette resting between cracked lips as an awful sneer.

His heart raced, the beat of it pumping hard against his chest, painful and breath-taking. Eren found it again in the man's eyes—that same cold, unnerving message that wrenched him inside and out.

'_You're next_.'

He had no idea why he was 'next,' but it churned knots in his stomach, almost as if death was the one staring him in the face. He had no idea why the thought—the horrifying image—of countless citizens being eaten and annihilated by utter chaos and destructions that would be caused monsters like this mere gigantic man.

"Is that a cell phone?"

Panic set in, and Eren tried to scramble from the man, only to be caught by his leg and soon enough hoisted into the air. He felt the phone begin to slip from his fingers; Rivaille's voice low as the policeman called out from the phone, "Eren."

"Wah!" Eren racked through his brain, as he watched the man's large hand move to grab the phone from him.

His eyes widened as he yelled out, "_Stranger Danger!_"

The phone fell onto the floor..

"Stranger Danger! Stranger Danger!"

Eren continued to bellow out from the top of his lungs, still dangling from the man's grasp. The man glowered with a raised eyebrow, as he then held Eren by the collar and leaned down to scrap the phone off the floor.

"Ya ain't callin' the police now, are ya?" The guy drawled out, easily stretching out his arm while Eren kicked and squirmed around in his grasp.

Just as if anything could get any worse, the shorter giant of the criminal pair had strolled back in with the cashier in tow, the gun still pressed against the blonde's skull, while he glanced at his partner and the squirming Eren in his hand, "Got the cash."

The taller one simply raised Eren higher. "Found a rat." He then tossed Eren aside, bringing the phone towards his ear. He tested with caution. "Who the heck is this?"

It went silent for a while, the taller giant clicking at his teeth and about to holler once again if not for the sound of a short ring and a following message.

"…_I'm sorry_," A low and stoic male voice echoed out. "_The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please call again later._"

The voice had sounded strangely hostile, but the gigantic man had taken no notice of it, instead choosing to break out into laughter as he crushed the phone with his bare hand. Eren watched in horror as the phone crumbled to the floor in pieces. He'd need to apologize to Reiner for his phone—that is, if they got out of here unscathed or alive.

"The fuck is so funny?" The shorter giant shoved the cashier down with the rest of the hostages, holding his gun up as a sole reminder of their power in this situation.

"The kid didn't even call anybody!" The taller one sniggered before he headed towards Eren and gave the brunet a mild kick to the side, lips curved into a sickening smirk. "Couldn't call yer mom, kid?"

Eyes shut tight, Eren waited for the next kick until the lights had broken out all of a sudden, rounds of gunshots firing out while clinks of glass echoed around. Dim lighting, supplied by the street lights that had seeped into the store through the transparent windows, filled the room, barely enough to see clearly.

"What the fuck is that?!"

Eren heard one of the men yell out, followed by a number of gunshots and a chocked sound. The lighting had crossed far enough into the room by then, and when Eren looked towards the wall, horror and dread paled his face when he caught sight of the hostages. The brown-woman limped wide-eyed onto the elder man, who was now painfully gripping at his shoulder, as she bled in the chest. The cashier stuck close to the wall, though on his knees while one arm was held inside his apron, near his chest. However, when Eren looked closer, his eyes widened when he found the outlined-shape of a gun being held in his hand.

"Who the fuck is in here?!"

Both of the men had taken to aimlessly shooting around, and all anyone who survived could do was just duck to the floor, trying to be covered as much as possible. Eren took in a deep breath as he quivered, the touch of death just barely tickling him.

"If the brat gets shot, you'll be the next one dead."

Eren perked up a bit at the sound of the voice, recognizing it as the indifferent tone of Rivaille's. Meanwhile, the two men stared incredulously as a short figure of about 160 cm stood in the store's entrance, leaning against one side of the double-doors with his arms crossed. Not a sign of a weapon was on his person, so the two men merely continued their ministrations, firing at the mysterious, police uniformed man with no hesitation, their eyes wild and filled with hysteria.

Rivaille continued to stand, unafraid, as the bullets fired, miraculously missing him by different margins. Eren had no clue why the two men were missing, but he could only guess that if he were the one facing Rivaille, he'd be spooked as well. The light shone against the back of his skull, the darkness circling around his features and making him appear more as the devil as compared to them.

The police officer glared, hand raised with a gun but no finger placed near the trigger.

The words he muttered were blunt and hollow, no consideration for the hysterical giants as they continued to rampage with their load of bullets, spooked at the sight of the short man in blue.

"I'll be the one to obliterate _you_."

* * *

Carla had been in hysterics once she had received a phone call of what Eren had been through, while Mikasa, but particularly Armin, had been guilt-stricken for not being adamant about accompanying Eren. To compensate for Carla, Rivaille had offered to take Eren home himself.

Interrogation can wait another time.

Police cars crowded the store's parking lot, while two ambulances hiked near the entrance. The elder man stepped into an ambulance, guided inside to tend to the flesh wound on his that he received from being shot. Eren watched as a team of paramedics wheeled away the dead body of the woman, her face even covered under the white blanket.

His fists clenched as he sulked to himself.

If only he had called Rivaille sooner.

However, his eyes lit up as he saw two figures duck behind and away from the policeman. "Reiner! Bertholdt!" Eren called out, waving them over and taking no notice of the quick look that went between them. As they neared him, Eren offered a relieved smile. "We managed to live, huh?" He then gave a sheepish grin towards Reiner. "Oh yeah. Sorry about your phone."

Reiner held his hand up. "It's fine." He replied quickly as he turned to leave.

"We'll see you around, Eren." Bertholdt held a stare onto Eren before turning around as well.

"Wait!" Eren started. "Don't you guys want to meet Corporal Rivaille?"

"It's alright." Reiner answered, still short and quick in response. "Another time, maybe."

"Okay then." Eren frowned, as Reiner and Bertholdt then darted away, almost as if in a hurry. Of course, there were a few times when he'd noticed that they had acted strange. However, he'd shrug it off, since the two had been pretty reliable in their own right, especially Reiner, who had been completely righteous and helpful throughout the whole ordeal.

However, the strange one throughout the whole thing, if Eren could point out, had been the cashier, who was now talking to Rivaille in hushed voices, still serious and unaffected.

The blonde turned a gaze onto him, and Eren froze, but calmed down as soon as the man muttered, "Remain on watch," towards Rivaille and promptly walked off.

Eren narrowed his eyes in suspicion, noting how Rivaille had simply nodded in agreement to the blonde without question. He would've decided to tail the cashier then if not for the sudden shiver that went down his spine, and when Eren did turn around was when he really froze.

This time, Eren felt his heart nearly give once his instincts led him to stare out at the far end corner of the convenience store. There, a dark figure stood; its head visible through the most transparent part of the store's windows as it glowered at Eren. For some reason, it went unnoticed by the large number of policeman around the parking lot, so Eren had a small incentive to think that it was a figment of his imagination.

However, despite the number of times he blinked or hit himself in the head, this dark figure would not disappear as it continued to shoot Eren a menacing glare—one that spoke volumes of hatred towards him.

_And then it smiled_—that sick sneer that made Eren want to throw up.

"Hey, brat."

Rivaille stepped up to the pale brunet, giving Eren a good flick to the head. "Let's head home." However, when the brunet had failed to respond, his lips formed into an irritated line as he tried once more, annoyed. "Hey, did you hear me? I said—"

The policeman had to stop himself once Eren turned his head, the child's eyes filled to the brim with sudden tears and fright, almost as if the kid had seen a ghost—_or a monster_.

"Corporal," Eren whimpered, tugging at Rivaille's sleeve and sooner breaking out into a cry.

Rivaille watched Eren continue to cry, still no sign of the waterworks about to end. It caught him a bit off guard. Eren was brash, and despite his age, was usually the least likeliest to submit to tears. But the kid continued to pour out into sobs, frightened and shaken up with tremors throughout the boy's body, something he never usually witnessed from the kid.

"We're going home." Was all Rivaille said as he picked Eren into his arms, an action he rarely performed, and tucked him into the police car he'd borrowed for the day.

Meanwhile, Eren himself had no explanation for the sudden tears. It had all come to him—the fear, the fright, the nightmares. However, he found himself weak and scared, wanting nothing but for Rivaille to take him to their safe home down at the apartment complex.

Eren peered out the police car window, his will driving him to look back at the far end of the convenience store, somehow believing that it had all still been a part of his imagination.

But it still smiled at him, and Eren nearly jumped out of his seat, fear-stricken as he could only stare in horror.

'_You're next_,' it seemed to tell him as Rivaille drove the police car into the night.

* * *

Well, that's Chapter 3! I hope it was enough to repent for my tardiness with the update! By the way, a little self-promotion involved, but thanks to those who favorite and reviewed "Swimming Lessons" and "Epilogue Z," my two other SnK fics!

Um, I'm actually thoroughly disappointed with this chapter. I could have written better, but I think I got lazy. I'm sorry. I'll clean it up soon.

[ **To IsyPerolla** ]: I love it whenever you point out quotes from my fic! :3 I just love knowing what parts made you happy! As for the challenge, thank you for at least trying. I appreciate it. Therefore, if you'd please message me later, I'll tell you the details for your two promised fics.

[ **To makkakaus** ]: I'm aware that Rivaille's tital is lance corporal (or 'heichou'), but as I've mentioned before, I'm manipulating things around. (: Also, according to Wikipedia (though unreliable), there is a rank of 'Corporal' in Japan. It's Wikipedia, which I shouldn't even be using, but again, I'm just manipulating things to my own liking. I hope using 'Corporal' isn't a problem?

[ **To Guest(#1)** ]: Again, I'll be just manipulating things. Therefore, when Rivaille's 30, Eren will be 17. When you think of the anime/manga, and that no one knows Rivaille's real age but it's suspected to be late twenties/around thirties, it kinda matches. _However, for the sake of enjoying the story, I'd rather suggest not thinking about the ages._

[ **To Petal** ]: Actually, the setting is a minor fault on my part. I didn't think about why I set it in Japan at all. My apologies. Of course, I guess maybe I'd say that the setting of Japan probably struck my vision of this fic more. _Though, as well, for the sake of the story, I'd suggest not being concerned about the placed setting, unless it becomes a real problem for the story._ (: As for the quotes around 'Titans,' that would be another minor fault. Ahaha, that's my reason. XD I'll fix it though.

And if there are any concerns or questions, please feel free to mention them!

**With Eren at his therapy session,**

**Sabrina.**


	4. Paranoia

Sorry for the wait! Here's Chapter 4!

[ **Thank you to these people for reviewing**: Pennilee, Namiooo, kgy9417, Ale, Sabrina, Yentamashii, FallieAngel, Nerocchi, IsyPerolla, Guest, CountMushroom, xStarryyAngellx, sabrina, Jeager's Paradise, Swanfrost15, CeinSemek, and TheHeroicAmerica! ]

Okay, on the last chapter, I mentioned in my notes that I was curious as to where I should put responses.

I took each opinion into consideration, but what really got me was a conversation I had with 'Jeager's Paradise.' In the message, she had asked me, 'What is a titan?' At least further clarification on what defined a titan in my story. I was satisfied that someone actually asked me a question (well, she asked me a few more, actually, with some leading to some spoilers, because she asked for some).

Therefore, I've thought about it and I decided that I would answer all questions on my tumblr. I'll screenshot questions (that should only be asked in reviews or PMs), and then answer them and show the responses on my tumblr. That way, people can keep up with some information if there's some curiosity, like if you need further clarification on titans in my story. I'll post updates there and progress as well.

By the way, this story is unbeta'd and therefore is subjected to a few grammar or writing errors/typos. I may be looking for a beta, so if you're interested, please tell me.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Paranoia**

* * *

"Eren?"

Green orbs blinked slowly—once, and then twice—before his attention refocused itself on the ecstatic brunette that sat across from him. She flailed about, her arms dancing in gestures while her lips moved fast and fluidly. Those motions came to a stop the moment she ended with a grin, her head cocked to the side.

But he had not heard a word she said, expression still built into a dazed slumber. Her lips moved again, but like earlier, not a word reached him. Instead, her words became disguised under a mesh of slurs and gibberish, of babbles and blurred noises.

He crinkled his nose, but remained unmoved and unaffected as if he'd been frozen into statue. He turned his attention elsewhere—on the ringing in his ears, on the soft chirps of the birds outside, on the shadow of his figure outlined on the table that separated him from Hanji, even on the grey-painted walls—while his chest heaved in slow breaths.

The walls felt constricting, like it seemed to close in on him, tight and limited just as if he were some livestock. It echoed words—whispers that told him that _he's next_.

Sweat formed around his brow as Eren shuddered, his heart almost about to burst into pieces.

Still grinning, Hanji observed and noted to herself the oddities in Eren's behavior—the panic in his eyes, the jump in his movements, the cautiousness in his actions. In fact, the boy was jittery in the very definition of the word.

Lips pursed together, Hanji tried again, "Eren?" She reached over the table and poked at Eren's forehead. "Yoohoo, hey, Eren!"

Eren leapt in his seat, his cheeks flushed as he shyly glanced up at Hanji. The sunlight that seeped into the room through a small window behind him glinted against the frames of her glasses, causing him to wince a bit.

Hanji found his hesitant behavior quite unnerving. After all, knowing the kid for so long since he enjoyed being at the police station, it didn't take a genius to know that shy and cautious did not mix well with his brash and over-zealous behavior.

"Eren, what's got you down, buddy?" Hanji cooed out, her hand moving to ruffle at Eren's hair. Relief poured into her once she saw that the brunette reacted with the usual gawk and annoyed groans that he would give whenever she messed with his hair.

"Nothing's bothering me." He answered, trying to pull away from Hanji's hand.

However, Hanji did not relent. "Are you sure? Are you really, really, really, _really_ sure?" This time, she included her other hand, and now, she was currently towering over the table, her chair pushed back behind her.

"I'm sure! I'm sure!" Eren groaned, and that in itself delighted Hanji to pieces, as she noted that _that_ was the Eren she knew and loved to bully.

"Well, you know, Eren, I am what they call a 'psychologist.' I study people's behavior and how they think." Hanji raised a finger as she sat herself back down. "Basically, I can tell if someone is upset, sad, distressed, doing strange things, or anything of that sort. Then, it's my job to find out the reason why." She finished with a satisfied grin. "And that's why I'm talking to you today, you see."

"But there's nothing wrong with me." Eren grumbled; however, Hanji didn't fail in missing that slight twitch he made right after he spoke.

"I can see that, but from what I've heard from Rivaille, you've been acting unlike _yourself_." Hanji stressed the word, but in a more delicate manner. She drummed her fingers along the table surface. "Rivaille said he noticed that you've been acting more reclusive—or, I mean, more withdrawn, as in keeping to yourself." She then peered at the brunet carefully. "He also mentioned that you've been kinda hesitant and a little careful lately? Why is that?"

She definitely noticed how the color drained from face after the moment she uttered 'careful,' and made to do a mental note of that. Also, although it might not be completely noticeable, she could see his small figure quake a little, his fingers digging into his palms.

"There's nothing wrong." He replied quietly; though, avoiding Hanji's eyes.

"Is that so?" Hanji questioned, tapping at her chin before she pointed out, "Because Rivaille said that your mother feels the same. She says you haven't been eating or sleeping properly? Eren, please understand that it's not a normal behavior." She leaned a little forward. "If there's something wrong, I promise you that it'll be our little secret."

"But there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just not tired or hungry sometimes." Eren tried; a desperate whine in his tone.

"But Eren, I'm here to help you, and I can't do that if you don't tell me." She offered a smile before she placed a finger before her lips. "I promise to you that I won't tell a soul. So just tell me if something's bothering you or is there someone who's bullying you—"

Hanji stopped with her words once she realized the guilty, but fear-stricken complexion that now marred the brunet's face.

Eren bit his lip, avoiding Hanji's eyes with a turn of his head. Not one person noticed that man that had lurked in the corner of the store, not one person noticed the sneer that stole his breath that felt like a monster had spotted him. The bloody-red smile, that frightening enigma seemed to be more vivid in his life since the store incident, always taunting him. Together with that hateful smile, that dark figure haunted him everywhere to the extent that it always felt near, so close to him, watching his every movement.

"_I'm watching you_." It would chant, and it would then be understandable why he couldn't sleep at night.

"_Eren_."

He jumped a bit, startled, his eyes then revealing a hint of confusion once a hand had gently grabbed him by the chin and turned his head to the left. Honeydew-eyes met him, and when he blinked, he hadn't realized that he'd been crying.

"Eren," Petra kneeled down, reached into her pocket, and then pulled out a handkerchief—the same green handkerchief with the embroidered letter 'P'—as she then wiped his tears away. Her eyes softened as she spoke softly, "You're shaking."

It was true. When Eren looked down, he watched as his hands trembled slightly. He had been so caught up in _feeling scared_—and for a moment, he chastised himself for this because he was _brave_—that he hadn't noticed that Petra had come inside and settled herself beside him.

From the side, Hanji let out a relieved sigh. She was used to handling kids, but handling and focusing on the _Titans_ seemed to have broken that skill for a while. In all honestly, she hadn't even the slightest idea how to comfort Eren the moment he started crying. It was all in her good luck that Petra came in, while it'd have been bad luck if it had been Rivaille instead.

Peering over her shoulder, Hanji formed a peace sign at the mirror-tinted, one-way window, wondering if Rivaille hadn't left and if he was glaring holes into her now.

"Here, Eren, have a cookie." Petra reached to the table for the plate of cookies that sat on a table tray, which also held an apple juice-box. "I made them myself."

Much to their relief, Eren's eyes brightened at the sight of the delectable treat, chomping down on its sweet surface the moment it reached his fingers. It was a good sign indeed, a noticeable change in his eating habits, despite it being a mere sweet desert. It was just all and good seeing him eat something.

While Eren then reached his arm for the apple juice, of which Hanji promptly passed to him, Petra shortly ruffled his hair.

She flashed him a soothing smile. "Eren, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, ma'am." He uttered between bites.

Giggling, she motioned Eren close to wipe the few crumbs scattered across his cheeks. "That's great." She then let out a sigh, put the handkerchief aside, and then moved her hands to gently cup Eren's face. "Listen, Eren, I know you don't to want to and I know you're scared, but we need to talk about something important, okay?" She watched as Eren's eyes widened by the smallest margin, the cookie in his hand momentarily forgotten.

"But," Eren started, his lip pulled out as he whimpered. "I don't want to."

"Eren, didn't you say that you wanted to help the police?" Petra despised herself for pointing something like that out, especially in such a time where Eren seem terrified down to his feet. "But it's important for the police that we get as much information about the incident at the store the other day. Everyone who was there already told us what they saw."

Eren's lip pursed. "Even Reiner and Bertholdt?"

Petra bit at her lip; truth be told, the police hadn't yet found or interrogated those two yet, their disappearance becoming one big mystery altogether, almost as if their existence had just vanished. The security footage from the store revealed their appearance, their actions, their words, but the pair couldn't be found for some odd reason.

"Yes, even them." Petra gritted her teeth in frustration. She really disliked having to lie to Eren. "So, can we please talk about the store incident? Even just a little bit? Anything will help; anything that you heard or found to be strange, preferably from those two men."

Eren had opened his mouth, when all of a sudden, a slight image of that dark figure and that terrifying smile flashed in his mind—a threat rolled onto those lips—and he stopped. He shook his head profusely, the half-eaten cookie having fallen to the floor.

"_No_," he cried out with a whimper. "_I don't wanna_."

Petra deflated a little from lack of a result, but nonetheless, moved in to comfort Eren, whispers of 'shh' slipping through her lips as she rubbed at the boy's back. Meanwhile, Hanji stood from her seat and motioned to Petra towards the door, moving in long strides with her hands in pocket.

Petra's voice had been the last thing she heard before she closed the door behind her, not even more than two steps forward when she stopped in her tracks.

"I might not be a dermatologist or whatever, but I'm sure if you continue to frown like that, there's going to be wrinkles in your future." Hanji pointed, but had garnered nothing but a harsh glare from the dark-haired male that leaned against the wall.

"I'm not in the mood, Hanji." Rivaille replied, indifferent appearance darkened by the lack of enough lighting in the narrow hallway that harbored the interrogation room. His gaze moved into the room, the sight of Eren now happily munching at the rest of the cookies, while his other hand held onto the juice box. Petra took Hanji's previous chair as she sat before him with a patient smile, often getting into conversation with the brunet.

Rivaille turned a pointed look at Hanji. "What was with _that_?"

"Really, what was with that?" Hanji sighed, a half-smile on her lips as she rubbed at the back of her neck. "I think I lose my touch when it comes to children, and that's pretty strange. I guess I've only ever been focusing on the _Titans_ and figuring how they tick that I lost my touch in interacting with _normal_ humans." She then blinked before jabbing her thumb behind her. "Speaking of which, maybe I'm not the best choice to deal with Eren."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, maybe you should take him to someone who had more experience handling with children." Hanji rocked on the heels of her feet. "He's not responding to his mother, me, or Petra. I believe he won't tell anyone he personally knows." She continued. "I think you—or rather you should tell Mrs. Jaeger that Eren should see a child therapist, someone who can work close with Eren and help him out. I'll give my observations as needed, of course."

"And what did you find?" Rivaille furrowed his eyebrows together. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's jumpy, he isolates himself, he's cautious and hesitant, a case of paranoia—not at its finest, but enough to make him not eat or sleep well. Luckily, he seems fine when he's around caretakers, like Petra over there." She gestured through the one-way window with Petra once again wiping at Eren's mouth, before she turned back to Rivaille. Hanji's expression turned slightly grave. "He's so frightened, almost as if he's afraid a monster's going to eat him right up. I tell you, he's scared out of his mind." She finished.

"And you don't know what it is." Rivaille crossed his arms.

"The kid won't budge." Hanji held up her hands and then plopped them back to her side in defeat. "It's just like Eren. All I know is that something spooked _the heck_ out of him, and whatever it is, it was highly impressionable."

His lips distorted into a frown, as his eyes trailed back onto Eren.

"_Sir_."

Beside Hanji, Petra appeared after closing the door behind her, her arms raising to the routine salute as she stepped up. "I'm afraid I couldn't get much information from Eren aside from the fact that he is well acquainted with the two missing boys, Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Fubar." She reported, before that mask of seriousness soon faded into concern. "I'm sorry, sir, but I completely chose to forget orders and not push further with interrogating Eren. I didn't want to upset him even more. I understand and accept my due consequences, sir." Petra bowed her head as she stood still.

"Well, I think it's fine if you didn't." Hanji cut in, as she shared a look with Rivaille and Petra. "It's a bit of a critical stage for him, especially since he's a child. It's better not to push further lest we push the damage into bad territory and he goes on some emotional rampage."

Rivaille watched Eren grin, however, noticing that there were a few times where Eren's darted around, as if making sure no one was watching him.

"Therapist aside, is there anything else that you recommend, Hanji?" Rivaille glanced at the psychologist.

"Yes, I do." Hanji answered with a grin before pointing a finger at Rivaille. "Why don't you go talk to him?"

"I'm not qualified to do that." He grunted. "And you just advised that further interrogation shouldn't—"

"With all due respect, sir," Petra interrupted. "Down to the simplest terms, Hanji—_we_ recommend that you just _talk_ to Eren. Nothing of the interrogation needs to be involved." Surprisingly, she pointed a stern stare towards Rivaille. "You _do_ realize that Eren looks up to you as a hero, don't you, sir?"

"She's right, Rivaille." Hanji chirped from the side. "Eren looks up to you; he wants to grow up to be just like _you_."

Petra continued on, her gaze dimmed down to a gentle one. "Please, just talk to him, sir. I'm sure he'll be comfortable confiding in you. We'll make sure no one—not even us—are around, and we won't turn the microphone on, so no one will hear anything."

His lips drew into a thin line, and for a moment or two, it went silent between them, with Petra's eyes glistening with some kind of maternal instinct, while Hanji grinned at him, almost as if she could read his thoughts.

And it might be true as Rivaille scowled and moved in between them. He shut the door hard behind him, gathering a yelp from Eren, who managed to shrink his plate of cookies down to three and his juice box to a crumpled, deflated state on the side.

Eren looked noticeably calmer and delighted once Rivaille neared him and took the seat from across. He continued to munch on his cookie before looking down at the leftovers and gestured towards them, asking Rivaille if he wanted one.

Rivaille looked at the cookies then back at Eren.

"The heck is wrong with you, you shitty brat?"

From that, Eren choked on the cookie, as the brunet proceeded to beat at his chest on account that there was no longer any apple juice available. Meanwhile, the door thumped with a good number of knocks that were clearly meant for Rivaille as a warning for him to be more sensitive.

He could only send a glare through the window, hopefully towards the two women to tell them to scatter lest they want to face his wrath. He turned back to Eren, who had finally managed to clear his throat and was now panting in and out.

"Corporal," Eren coughed a bit, before he resigned back with downcast eyes. "What are you asking? I told Miss Hanji and Miss Petra that there's nothing wrong already."

"Like I'm going to believe that, you brat." Rivaille spat out. "It's obvious that you're acting even stranger than usual, so do us all a favor and spill it."

"And why would you think that there's something strange about me, Corporal?" Eren peered with curious eyes.

His lips drew into a line, just short of an irritated scowl as Rivaille stared down at Eren.

"You haven't been annoying for days, you brat."

Although he'd hate to admit that, it was the truth. The small brunet had kept to himself and hadn't broken into his house for nearly a week. His mother noted the same thing, remarking that Eren had done nothing but hole himself up in his bedroom. If Rivaille cared any less for the brunet, he wouldn't be here—but, he did, in fact, care about Eren to_ some_ extent, since the first day of Eren's absence had led to nothing but a silent, mild afternoon.

"Oh, I've been busy at home." For the umpteenth time, Eren avoided the gaze. "With homework." He added.

But school and Eren did not mix well, and that was a well-known fact amongst those who knew him.

"_With homework_."

"I'm failing in math, Corporal. I think you should really believe me, you know."

"Well, I say that you've got some nerve lying to a police officer." Rivaille narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to believe that homework's the damn reason you haven't been annoying the shit out of me. If there's something bothering you, just spill it, brat." He clicked his teeth. "Everyone here is willing to help, so if it's a bully, just say it already."

Eren shrunk back, his fists clenched tight.

He knew that Corporal Rivaille was strong—the police's strongest officer, in fact. If he told Rivaille—if he admitted that a _monster_ was haunting him—then the man might be able to do something about it.

"It's _that _bad."

Eren blinked, looking up at Rivaille in confusion.

"You're crying." Rivaille frowned.

Still confused, Eren blinked once more and felt the wetness of tears drip down his cheeks, soaking into his shirt. Just like earlier, Eren had no idea when he started crying, but it seemed that they came to him every time he thought about _it_.

"Ah," Eren breathed out, his hand reaching up to wipe the tears from his eyes. He trembled, the tears nowhere near diminishing, as whimpers broke out from his lips. "Corporal," he sobbed. "I can't stop crying. It won't stop."

Rivaille watched as Eren burst into tears, snot dripping from the nose while the boy continued to shake in his seat. His eyes narrowed in frustration. To make Eren this upset, there was definitely something that scared the heck out of him, something more than an average-school bully.

"I think something's wrong with my eyes, Corporal." Eren rubbed at his reddened eyes. "It won't stop—"

"Come on."

He heard Rivaille command, and when Eren moved his hands away from his eyes, he found that Rivaille had stood up and was now motioning for Eren to do the same.

"We're leaving."

Despite the tears, Eren still blinked in confusion. "We're leaving? To where?"

However, his question remained unanswered and a yelp soon escaped his lips when he felt Rivaille grab him and hoisted him into the air. He found himself tucked under Rivaille's arm like a football as the man strode forth and kicked the door open, revealing both Hanji and Petra who had toppled down to the floor.

Rivaille shot them a glare before he spun on his heel and headed down the hall, ignoring the range of surprised protests that came from Petra and the sniggers that came from Hanji.

"Wait, Corporal Rivaille, where are you going?!" Petra cried out, debating on whether she should tail after her superior or not. "What about the interrogation?"

"Lunch," was all she got from the man as she was left dumbfounded in the hall with a laughing Hanji by her side.

* * *

Eren yelped as he was dropped onto maroon-colored, leather seats, his head nearly crashing into the table. He picked himself and soon shot a glare at the indifferent police officer, who had just slipped into the seat across from him.

"Sheesh, Corporal." Eren looked around, the fresh scent of different kinds of food wafting through the air. "You could have just told me that it's lunch time."

The two had taken their place in a booth just a few tables down from the entrance to the diner that wasn't too far from the police station. Eren fixed himself into a sitting position, his lips pulled into a frown, while a waitress came from the side.

"Hello, gentlemen. May I get you something to drink?" She flashed a warm smile, her scarlet-red tresses bounced as she handed the two their respective menus.

"Coffee." Rivaille replied, before he pointed at Eren. "Give him some milk."

"I don't want milk!"

"He'll take milk."

The waitress let out a nervous laugh before she then whipped around back to the counter. Meanwhile, Eren shot a glare while he reached for the kid's menu, opening it with aggression.

"Just you wait, Corporal." He grumbled, eyes gliding over the small menu. "Don't complain if I happen to get taller than you when I grow up."

"I'll believe it when I see it, brat."

His mouth opened, Eren was about to retort when the waitress arrived back, her manicured fingers setting the drinks down onto the table. She patted at her apron before she smiled again. "So, are we ready to order?"

"Yes, I'll have today's special." Rivaille tapped at the picture of the meal on his menu.

From the side, Eren bounced in his seat. "I'll have the special too!" He pushed the kid's menu far from him, his lips pursed together.

"Oh, sweetie," The waitress started, pointing her pen at him. "I don't think—"

"Ignore him, and just get him the Junior Cheeseburger." Rivaille cut in, shooting a warning for Eren to sit down.

"Oh, by the way, you're in luck, sir." The waitress blinked as Eren's protest fell to deaf ears. "Kids' lunch meals are free for ordering the special of the day."

"That's fantastic." Rivaille drawled out, the sarcasm obvious in his tone. "Does that come with French fries?"

"Yes, it does."

"Good." Rivaille looked at Eren. "Hear that, brat?"

"Thrilled." Eren scowled through gritted teeth.

"Will that be all, sir?"

Rivaille answered with a nod, while the waitress collected both menus into her arms, feeling strangely out of place and disoriented. "Your orders will be coming soon, sir."

The moment she left, Eren started with a whine. "Corporal, I don't want food from the kid's menu."

"Don't be an idiot. You can't even finish an adult-sized meal." Rivaille examined the restaurant's windows, his face scrunching in disgust at the leftover dirt. "Who do you think is paying for you anyways, brat? Just take what you get."

To his misfortune, Eren resigned with a grumble, unbeknownst to him that Rivaille was watching him.

The complaints, the arguments, the protests—to Rivaille, _this_ was Eren, the annoying kid who lived a few doors down in his apartment complex. However, it seemed that Eren was still on edge; for what, Rivaille had no clue, but he made that he'd get the answer from Eren.

"It's your turn. Spill what's scaring the heck out of you right now."

Eren shrunk down under Rivaille's expecting gaze, wishing nothing more than to hightail it back home. But the demand was made, and sometimes, he understood the consequences from not listening to Corporal Rivaille.

Flustered, Eren confessed. "I think I did something I wasn't supposed to, Corporal."

"_What?_"

"I don't know what I did." Eren admitted, his face guilt-stricken. "I just know that I did something that I wasn't supposed to, and—" He ducked his head down low, eyes surveying the environment before he whispered, "I think someone's following me."

"And you're sure about that?"

Not that he completely doubted Eren, but it made no sense for someone to be stalking a brash seven-year old. It made sense, though, for the slight paranoia on Eren's part—the hesitation, the looking around, the _fear_.

He'd kill the guy, Rivaille decided.

The guilt on Eren's face then became more apparent as he fingered the hem of his shirt. "Well, it started happening after the store incident and—"

"The store incident?" Rivaille's tone was sharp, eyes narrowed. "You idiot, why didn't you say anything? _No_—why did you wait so long if you knew—"

However, the words soon died down on Rivaille's lips once he heard a whimper and found that the brunet had become so close to tears again, fright and swelling around green eyes.

"Why are you crying again?" He muttered under his breath, the sharpness of his glare diminishing down into an unnoticeable softer nature.

Eren cried out.

"Because Corporal, I think I saw a titan that day."

* * *

With the menu in her hands, she watched the male brunet that sat in the same booth as a policeman with a bit of interest. However, disinterest soon crossed her half-lidded, blue eyes as she then shoved the menu aside, no longer feeling the need for it. Her blonde hair fell sgainst her cheek as she slouched, blatantly bored, and leaned against the palm of her hand.

There was nothing interesting about the boy.

"Hey, there, sweetie."

Bored, she looked up to find that a red-haired waitress had visited her table.

"Where are your parents? Are you here alone?" The waitress smiled.

She only spared the waitress a darkened glance. The waitress' smile managed a small twitch, before asking,, "Alright, is there something you'd like to drink?"

"Coffee."

She was met with a frown, as the red-haired waitress mutered, "Too bad. You're getting milk."

Soon, a whimper broke out, and when she turned her head, she found that the boy had submitted to tears at this point. She clicked her teeth.

_This was the boy that Reiner and Bertholdt old her to keep an eye on?_

She'd much rather do something else than tailing a scrawny kid.

* * *

[ **Notes** ]

Right, so Eren's spooked, and like most kids, he gets shaken up. And yes, Rivaille does care about Eren.

Oh, and I apologize if this chapter sucked too. I know Chapter 3 did. D:

So, once again, if you haven't read my Author's Notes from above, my tumblr will be open to questions, as well as posts of updates, and anything else. And questions should be included in reviews please, since it'll be easier to keep track of for me!

My tumblr is the same as **eikari!**

Thank you!


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